


Happily Ever After

by disneyschloe



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, British!Reader - Freeform, Bucky Barnes Feels, But its mainly WDW fluff and magic, Disney World & Disneyland, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Secret Identity, airport layover, implied smut at the end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:47:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28881951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disneyschloe/pseuds/disneyschloe
Summary: When turbulent winds and thunder hit Manchester Airport, your flight to the most magical place on Earth is delayed. As the time passes, you happen to meet a laid-back cheeky American with soulful eyes you just can't shake. Heading for the same place, you both bond over your shared passions including your love for Disney World - to which you're unaware, he's the CEO's son. As the 3 week holiday ensues, how long will it be until you discover the truth?NOTE: All Disney World facts and trivia are accurate PRE-COVID - we've got shows, we've got fireworks and we've got a whole lot of Soft!Bucky so enjoy!Updated once a week, every Wednesday or Thursday!
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22





	1. Wish Upon A Storm

Crowded terminals appeared to be commonplace on a weekend, from what you could recall, but at no time to the extent you were experiencing now. Clutching at the handle of your suitcase, you swerved your way in and out of the sea that swelled with all manner of humanity. Whether it be businessmen barking orders through their earpiece or frustrated mothers trying to control their flock, it appeared many people had taken the decision to fly on that peaceful Sunday afternoon. 

You had also taken that same decision but, unlike the disgruntled passengers in your midst, all that soared through your system was sheer excitement. For what would now be the fourth time, you were heading back to a place that allowed all your troubles to be left behind. A place that allowed you to be young and free. A place that you wished, more than anything, could be your home. 

In most circumstances, the prospect of flying out to a foreign country alone for 3 weeks would be daunting. Scratch that – terrifying. However, unlike now, you were not attempting to escape the reality you had built for yourself. Any other occasion had been what it was – a holiday, planned time away. This, nonetheless, was spontaneous and last-minute – not one of your idiosyncrasies by far. Truth be told, you weren’t completely sure if you’d missed a few things packing but it was too late and too crowded for a last-minute check. 

Boldly aligned overheard were the airline screens, detailing the particular company and their purpose – primarily check in and bag drop. Following the order of the red portable posts, you momentarily took place into the continuous queue and stood to a halt, waiting. As for your belongings, all that could be done was to hope for the best and should anything be missing, it would just have to be replaced. Plus, not to mention how suspicious bending down and unzipping a suitcase in the middle of a congested terminal looked generally. Knowing your luck, the bomb squad would’ve been on the case faster than you can say ‘por favor manténgase alejado de las puertas’. 

The line ahead moved steadily, to put it kindly. Conversations consisting of grumbles and sighs could be heard all over - flying from person to person, occasionally repeating the lazy standard sentences.  
‘What’s taking so long?’, ‘Come on’, ‘Christmas will be here before long!’. 

All over except from directly behind you, you noted – the volume giving the proximity away. 

At first, it started off as a faint hum; one that could be misconceived as a nonchalant noise to pass the time. Then, a few minutes later, turned into a melody of some sorts – low but honey-coated. You deciphered well enough that this was a man’s voice, humming a tune unrecognizable yet sounding euphonious (a word you’d googled during this time because how would you say it just ‘sounded so fucking aesthetic’?). 

Resisting the urge to look back and place a face to the voice, you continued to step onward until you eventually reached the check in desk. You gave a warm smile as you made eye contact with the pristine uniform-clad looking agent, who dutifully returned the kindness. 

‘Passport and ticket please’, the woman with a remarkably thick Scottish accent asked. 

You handed them over and watched as she checked to see if your documents were valid. Her eyes flitted back and forth to you until she returned your passport and ticket with another sweet smile. 

‘Perfect. And now would you place your suitcase there for me, please’. 

‘Yeah’.

You briskly nodded as you wheeled your case closer to the weighing machine. Considering you’d packed for three weeks; you knew the total would be high. That and you were pretty certain you’d dislocated your forearm trying to pull that fucker along. As you heaved with an inaudible huff, you felt your passport slip out of your fingers and hit the terrazzo floor, backward from where you were stood. 

‘Ah shit’ you mumbled as you lowered your case onto the scale, then spun around quickly, embarrassed entirely by the slight inconvenience. Just as you went to retrieve it, a wave of ruffled brunette locks flashed before your eyes as a man stood back up in front of you with your passport between his middle and ring finger. His towering height would’ve been overwhelming had it not been for his steel grey eyes a-flicker with wonder over a friendly beam. Not to mention his peppered stubble, chiselled jawline, defined cheekbones, and his overall obvious good looks – it was enough to make anyone a little weak at the knees.

‘Here ya go’ he told you cheerfully, as he handed you it back. 

‘Ah thank you!’ you responded, in a similar sweet tone, cheeks flushed.

‘No problem’ his American accent becoming more apparent as he smiled and stepped back into his place in line. He must’ve been the hummer too, you thought to yourself. Without delay, you turned back and waited for your luggage. 

In familiar fashion known to you, then began the regular proceedings of your case being approved, walking up the stairs and along the purple hallway through to security. Security was uneventful, so to speak. For you, it was a walk in the park like any other time. Once you retrieved your carry-on luggage, you made your way through to the departure gates. 

It wasn’t long until you grew bored. This WAS boring. You’d been sat by departure gate 210 for all of fifteen minutes before you were gazing off into the distance blankly, occasionally watching the rain outside fall in its orchestrated rhythm. Heavy grey clouds obscured the view of the sky above, as if a storm were imminently standing by. Your flight wasn’t until 14:40pm and given the fact the clocks read 13:33pm – you had plenty of time to kill. ‘Screw this’, you thought, standing up. Deciding against sitting idly by you promptly decided to wander round the airport for a while. 

Diagonal to the gate was the sports retail company JD Sports – the first port of call. Roaming the aisles casually and slowly, you picked almost everything out to pass the time – trainers, gym wear, sports equipment (even though you were 99% sure you were the laziest person alive and literally no one would buy that you wanted that) – you name it. Sighing, you realized nothing in here piqued your interest whatsoever. As you spun around to head to the exit, you were suddenly met with a crashing force of a body bumping against yours. 

‘Oi! You wanna watch where you’re going?!’ the silver haired man in front of you roared. His eyes were rigid and hard.

You blinked back, nerved by his over-the-top anger in his tone ‘I didn’t see you, I-’

‘That much was obvious! You could’ve sent me flying!’

You frowned, growing agitated ‘It was just an accident?’

‘Yeah, except I have bad knees and if I’d have gone to the floor – that’d be it for me!’

Staring at him in bewilderment, you were unsure of what it was he expected. With no answer from you, the now redder faced man folded his arms across his chest petulantly.

‘I want an apology. Now’

‘What?’ Was he serious? All this over a bump, a small collision?

‘You heard!’

People all over the shop were starting to look now. It was bad enough to have this confrontation but to have strangers witness silently felt even worse. No one said a thing and all eyes laid expectantly on you… until a familiar face stepped forward from the crowd.

‘I mean… technically you were in her way first.’

It was the American man from the check in queue. He coolly leant against a baseball cap display, his tone debating but composed. Noting the older man’s confused expression, the American gave a small gesture with his left hand as he gave a half shrug, explaining himself.

‘Yeah…Kinda saw the whole thing. You really don’t have a leg to stand on’

The man stammered, angrier ‘I-I’m not about to be ganged up on by two young un’s – I’m in the right and that’s that!’

Holding his hands up mockingly defensively, he responds ‘You go ahead and believe that man. Whatever helps you sleep, huh?’

Small giggles escape from onlookers’ mouths, causing the man to quit his pursuit.

‘The fucking disrespect round ‘ere’. He storms off, pushing past the American furiously as both you and he watch him go, your heart pounding from the tenseness of it all. 

He approaches you and smiles reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry. I deal with about 20 of them usually daily and they’re no harm’ He cocks his head with a small smirk ‘Usually’

Shaking your head, you smile appreciatively ‘I’m not, it’s fine but uh.. thank you. For that.’ 

‘No problem. Obnoxious old white men need reminding from time to time they don’t own the world’

You chuckle, amused. ‘Good luck getting it through to them(!)’

As you began to walk toward the exit, you noticed he started to do so as well, keeping up with the pace and close to your side. Frankly, it wasn’t commonplace for many to randomly strike conversation with you, let alone a stranger – making your chest flutter ever so slightly.

‘I think we will one day. Granted… we’d all be extinct by then BUT the payoff would be so worth it, right? Can you imagine … a world without Karens?’ He emphasized optimistically.

‘Now that’d be the dream. Even though we’d be stuck with the Kyles.’ You pointed out.

‘Shit. I didn’t think of that.’ He paused, considering then shrugged nonchalantly ‘Oh well. We’ve all gotta make the necessary sacrifices’

Letting out a small scoff, you grinned tickled and were almost positive you saw his cheeks flush a rosy pink at the humoured reaction. Still meandering along with you, he cleared his throat.

‘So, what are you-‘

Abruptly, he was cut off by the loud announcement from the tannoys above as you fully stepped away of the store. Bitter gusts howled even more ferociously outside, rain collapsing like an ocean had flooded from the sky. You had been so distracted before that you’d not noticed the weather had quickly deteriorated like this. The mic crackled as an apprehensive, yet disheartened voice began to speak; a deathly silence falling around. 

‘Hello and welcome to Manchester Airport today. I’m afraid…due to the drastic change in the weather…that flights are going to be halted. We hope this is only temporary and the skies soon clear up but as for now, all upcoming aircrafts are subject to stay grounded. We can only apologize for the inconvenience and shall keep you notified with any changes. Thank you’.

Disgruntled passengers collectively began to groan and mutter to each other. Almost imminently people began rushing forward to the desks surrounding poor agents with questions and complaints. Your gate seemed to be especially crowded with people – particularly aggravated parents and confused children. Unlike everyone else, the American – or grey eyes, as you couldn’t stop yourself from thinking – chuckled.

‘What a bunch of morons.’

Puzzled, you looked up at him ‘Come again?’

He took one of his hands, that had been tucked lazily in his bomber jacket pocket, out and extended it to point ‘Well I mean – look at them! All about to lose their shit over something that can’t be helped.’

‘Aren’t you?’ you raise your eyebrow, questioningly. 

‘Nah. It is what it is. Only unfortunate thing about it, is that I gotta be stuck with this rabble’ He jerked his head in the direction of gate 210. Your gate. 

‘Oh..’ you nodded as your mouth gaped, slightly. It shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise – after all, grey eyes WAS American. ‘Me too’ you finished.

A small smirk rose on his face, as if he were pleased by this. ‘Headed to Florida too, huh?’ he hummed quizzically ‘Lemme guess… you’re a childless millennial off to ruin the lives of young children at the house of mouse?’

‘Hmm… what gave it away?’ you replied with a similar tone.

‘Oh, I’ve got a surprisingly good read on you already’

His mouth grinned cockily in humour, but his eyes told a different story. If you hadn’t just met and weren’t plagued with overwhelming self-doubt, one might even say they glimmered with a hint of flirtatiousness. Nonetheless, you soon realized his response was a cover up. You narrowed your eyes interrogatively.

‘… You saw my luggage tags, didn’t you?’

‘They… may have come into my peripheral vision.’ He grasped his cool talk wasn’t working before he rolls his eyes, defeated. ‘Look, it was fairly obvious regardless all right?’

‘Sure. You tell yourself that, bud’ you sarcastically grinned, triumphant as you started to walk away, an air of confidence unexpectedly filling you. You figured if he were sticking around this long, there’d be no doubt he would follow. 

‘Hey, where ya going?’ he called out, sounding slightly confused. 

‘Off to hopefully find an area with some decent signal now!’ you called back, holding your phone up in explanation.

His approaching footsteps echo sharply as he catches up to you, briefly brushing his fingers across your arm as he stands in front of you to stop your movement – sending sweet chills down your spine. A warm smile brims on his lips. 

‘In that case… you’re lucky I happen to know the perfect place to wait out the storm. What do ya say?’


	2. Mission: Coffee

On finer days, humanity would be agile-paced and roused from its serene slumber, full of life and exhilaration. Now, at a leisurely pace, grey-eyes had decided to unhurriedly lead the way to a ‘mystery location’. With nothing better to do and no better company (like you’d want anyone else anyway), you had promptly agreed and the two of you set off. Grey-eyes had a heartening, relaxed ease about him otherwise you’d have stayed grounded. But the more lighthearted chat you would have, the more it felt like you had known him for years.

It was a mere five minutes before he motioned for you to stop in front of a weakly illuminated café you’d never even heard of nor seen from all the times you had been here. All the other facilities and stores were bulked into one central area, but this seemed to be at the opposite end of the terminal. 

‘How’d you find this place?’ you asked curiously as you walked through the glass pane doors, him subsequently after you.

‘Flying around’s kinda my specialty. I’m always in and out of airports, and almost 90% of the time there’s guaranteed to be a layover. I just happen to make the most it’ He grinned particularly at the latter part and extended his arm excitedly. ‘This is it! The mystery location!’

Glancing around, the café didn’t exceptionally have the most aesthetic appeal. But you figured from grey-eyes upbeat personality, that the charm resided more in the soul of the place rather than its appearance. That, you could appreciate. 

‘It’s uh…’ You tried to find the right adjective, your pitch raising, before he snickered, entertained. 

‘A dump, right?’

‘Uh no, I was actually going to say homey! That’ll teach you to interrupt!’ you jokingly scolded, swatting him lightly on the arm. For a fraction of a second, you worried he may actually take offense. His eyes light up at the banter and beams as he defensively holds his hands up.

‘Ooh sorry, sorry!’

With a spring in his step, he turns and jogs lightly up to the counter, patting the counter. ‘Anyone here?’ he calls out after a second, with no staff visible. Punctually, a bald-headed barista with tired sunken eyes and a clear abundance of joy appears.

‘Oh’ grey-eyes swallows ‘unfamiliar face’. He must’ve been hoping to be recognized, most likely to prove the length of his ongoing relationship with the well-hidden establishment.

‘Can I help you?’ they ask, monotonously. 

‘Uh yes I would like a chai latte with extra milk and…’ he trails off, looking to you.

‘Just a mocha frappuccino please. Oh, and I’m paying’ 

You step further forward and are met with a perplexed look and a head shake, as if grey-eyes weren’t used to the offer. 

‘Oh uh, no, you really don’t have to, y’know!’ 

‘Yes I do’ you say, adamantly but with a softness ‘you stood up for me before and this is a thank you gift, okay?’

He must’ve found your sweet smile infectious as he presently reciprocated it, nodding, and turning back to the barista. ‘Well, you heard the lady, sir’.

Not at all amused or humoured by the pair, the barista huffed an exasperated sigh and dutifully grabbed two cups, asking simply ‘Names?’

The two of you look at each-other, realizing that an introduction was imminent. Grey-eyes keeps his gaze on you as he speaks.

‘Bucky’ 

An unusual name. Then again, he was already an unusual one of a kind. In a lot of ways, similarly to you. Keeping an identical expression, you return the courtesy. 

‘Y/N’.

Grabbing your drinks, Bucky leads you to the far corner of the room, resting contentedly in the tan covered armchairs, the cool leather sticking to your jeans. With rustic tones and aromatic dreams, you can tell that maybe at one time this place was a haven for people like you. People who needed their own corner of the world to just… breathe. That was normally accompanied by solitude, but you didn’t necessarily mind sharing that with Bucky. It was even more comforting, you thought.

You adjusted your bag next to your feet, alongside your documents on the stained-glass table. Bucky was sipping his coffee and let out a groan in ecstasy as he pulled the cup away from his mouth.

‘Man… I tell ya, I’ve been all over the world, but they don’t make coffee like they do here. This shit is GOOD’. 

You sip yours and hum in agreement ‘I think I may have to agree with you. You’ve picked a good spot’.

He smirks at the compliment. ‘Well… I’m not just a pretty face y’know.’

You roll your eyes at the arrogance, causing him to laugh heartily. ‘What? It’s true!’

‘That depends.’ You tilt your head ‘I think I remember someone needing to live up to their word. Something about ‘signal strengthened by the gods themselves’?’ 

You reminded him of his words on the walk over, causing him to sit back and cross his legs with an ambiguous shrug. He holds his latte in one hand and slaps his leg with the other. ‘Go ahead and try it, doll!’.

A burning flutter occurs in your stomach at the mention of the pet name, making you for a second wonder how many others it had been reserved for, or if it was in fact for you. ‘Get a grip Y/N’ you think to yourself. Pulling your iPhone from your jacket pocket, you unlock it and raise it up into the air, waving it from side to side. Sure enough, the signal bars began to rise until they were at full strength. 

‘Ahh..yes!’ you cheer, relieved.

‘I take it I was of course, right?’ 

‘This one time, I’m sure it won’t happen again… two minutes!’ you excuse yourself to check through all forms of social media. Bucky contently watches you, nosily. ‘Catching up with friends before the long ass flight?’

‘No’ you purse your lips in concentration. After a second, you sigh and look at him ‘I’m trying to find out if there’s been any news from Disney’s Magical Express. Or at least a way for me to contact them on short notice’

Clearing his throat, he inquires as he improves his posture. ‘Because of the delay?’ 

‘Yeah. Obviously, we were supposed to get there for just gone 7 Florida time, but it could the early hours of the morning now, right?’

‘Right…’ Bucky trailed off, not understanding where you were going with this.

‘Well, if I remember rightly, they only run their service for specific times of the day. If I can’t get there on time…’

‘… you’d have to pay out for a taxi.’ He finished. Both of you were sorely aware of the cost increase once reaching US soil – a rickety lengthy journey alone with a stranger over an air-conditioned Disney themed complimentary coach? It was a no brainer. Neither of you spoke for a minute; Bucky wrinkling his brows, as if mentally attempting to help contemplate what to do. You sighed to fill in the silence.

‘’Let’s hope by a miracle they’re still running. Otherwise, it’s bye-bye merchandise and hello rising bills.’ You huffed, moodily. 

Glancing down with a grin, Bucky set his mug on the table and snickered. ‘First world tragedies, huh?’ Still sensing your woeful reaction, he began to elaborate’ I mean, really, it’s not so bad. Not only do you get away from airport rush-hour, but you ALSO have the fortune of having an expert lead you through your first layover experience!’

You scoff at his brazen confidence ‘What makes you think I haven’t already?’

‘..Have you?’

‘..No’

His eyes shone eccentrically, pink lips widening once again ‘Then it’s settled! There’s a specific criteria, all right? Coffee is a requirement, no doubt about it.’ He scratched through his chestnut locks as he spoke ‘Which would’ve been a downer if you had some kinda caffeine intolerance but lucky you don’t!...Right?’

‘Right’ you chortled. ‘What else?’

For the next hour or so, Bucky detailed his ground-breaking plan on how to keep yourselves entertained. Majorly, it included snacks. LOTS. OF. SNACKS. Sandwiches, cheese puffs, scotch eggs, wispa bites, skittles etc. etc. You name it. So, without having the chance to finish your drink, Bucky had practically hauled you from your seat, making way to set off on your little expedition. You asked if you should make a mental list of the things you wanted, but he merely let out a content sigh and responded ‘Let the process flow in its natural state, doll’ … whatever that meant. 

The second you reached the store, Bucky was straight in, shoving random things – from pastries to puzzles, books to travel accessories – into the basket you’d smartly picked up. When finally reaching the counter, he was again weirdly astounded to see you offer to pay for it all but quickly tapped his card on the contactless payment before you could.

Next, he’d commandeered a table some people had briefly left to set up the games you’d bought. Cards was up first and once you realized how much better Bucky was than you at literally all of them, you sweetly batted your eyelids and made him switch to Connect 4. Piece of cake when you won that one repeatedly. 

After that, you were 99.9% sure the rest was spontaneous. From rounds of impressions, to creating handshakes, to general knowledge trivia to dancing randomly to the music playing faintly from the speakers. In the end, you were both red faced and howling drunk with laughter at the ridiculously stupid moves you (well, mainly Bucky) were doing. Honestly, you hadn’t felt this enjoyable and carefree in a long time. From the thrilled look on Bucky’s face, you had a sneaky suspicion that neither had he. 

It was another hour later when you were slumped on a bench, miles away from your gate, whilst you waited for Bucky to return from the toilet. Rain drops now fell steady and sparingly, compared to the roars of thunder that had made you jump previously. Now it had eased, your mind had wandered off to wondering about your flight again when suddenly, the tannoy piercingly chimed. 

‘Hello and welcome to Manchester Airport. This is the last boarding call for Flight VS5. I repeat, final boarding call for VS5. Thank you’.

WHAT?!

You shot to your feet with panic in your enlarged eyes. Since when were they boarding again, never mind for the final time?! Grabbing your bag, you ran quickly to the men’s toilets where you were met with Bucky just exiting. At the sight of you, he smirked.

‘Missing me that much, doll?’

‘No!’ you yelled, then composed slightly ‘I mean no, because Bucky we have to go now! It’s the final boarding call, they’ve opened up again!’

‘Wait, what?’ his eyebrows furrowed, confused ‘Since when-‘

‘I don’t know but we need to go now, come on!’

Instead of reacting in sheer panic or worry, Bucky slowly walked to the side of you and grinned deeper, almost mischievously. What the hell was he doing?!

‘In that case… on your marks, get set, go!’

At the speed of light, Bucky sped off down the hall. Without room to think, you chased after him – occasionally listening to his whoops and cheery calls of ‘Hurry up, Y/N, we don’t have all day!’

Just in the nick of time, you breathlessly reached the agent and a smug Bucky at the reception desk. He nudged the agent, cheekily.

‘Told you she’d make it’ 

You shot him a snappy glare as you handed over your boarding ticket then rushed onto the plane with Bucky by your side. That was at least until you had to part. Not wanting to delay them any further, you’d hurriedly said goodbye and slumped down into your aisle seat, at the back of the plane, with a sigh of relief. 

Five minutes passed by and the plane was still at a standstill – perhaps you weren’t the only stragglers. Regardless, you’d pulled out your camera out of your backpack and took a look at the pictures you and Bucky had taken earlier, smiling to yourself. 

‘You look comfortable’

Breaking out of your thoughts, you startled and lifted your head to see Bucky stood at the side of you, leant casually against the chair. Your eyes narrowed, as you looked him up and down.

‘Bucky? Shouldn’t you be sat down by now?’

‘I should… In a few minutes or so when you follow me.’

‘Follow you? Is there a spare seat or something?’

‘Something like that.’ He chuckled as he gestured for you to move ‘C’mon’

‘Wait. Am I allowed to do that? Chair hop?’ you panicked, not wanting to make a wrong or embarrassing move due to his incredulous antics.

‘You’ll see soon enough’

He winked as he grabbed your camera that was now sat on the fold up table and began to walk away.

‘Hey!’ you shouted after him.

‘Tick tock doll!’

Hesitantly, you awkwardly collected your belongings and took off after Bucky, other passengers staring wildly at you. Swiftly, you realized where you were after you trotted up the stairs and stepped through the velvet curtains. ‘Welcome to first class baby!’ Bucky raised his arm and cheered.

‘I.. I can’t sit up here, I paid economy’ you practically whispered as you nervously stepped forward with him.

‘You can now, I just paid the difference’ he replied, indifferently.

‘Wait what? Tell me you’re lying!’

He snorted ‘If I were, it’d be cruel’

‘No, Bucky, you can’t-‘ You were interrupted as an airline hostess head to toe in the company red approached. ‘Hi, can you please take your seats lovies, we’ll be departing shortly’

‘Sure thing ma’am’ Bucky coolly nods, then faces you with a winning expression ‘After you’ 

As he extends his arm graciously, you take your much comfier seat by the window. Nonetheless, you still eye him worriedly. ‘How much was the upgrade?’

Bucky tapped his nose, secretively ‘That’s for me to know and you to dot, dot, dot.’

‘Hey. I’m serious’

‘So am I. Come on – you can’t say you’re not at least slightly grateful’

‘Of course I am!’ you snapped.

‘Then stop stressing. I did it more for me than I did for you anyway’ he shrugged casually, though had a gut feeling he was lying.

‘Oh yeah? How so?’

‘It’s a 9-hour flight. I figured I’d annoyed you for 3 hours already… why not make it half a day’

He flashed his million-dollar wink, making you giggle in defeat. As you strapped yourself in and listened to the air stewardess give the safety signals, your phone pinged making your eyes light up in astonishment. ‘Ha!’ you turn to Bucky ‘I’ve just had a notification come through! Turns out even though I’ll be a few hours late, DME is willing to extend the time slot?!’

Bucky smiles, gladly. ‘Hey that’s great news. Lucky you, huh?’

‘I can’t believe they’ve amended it!... Do you think they were told by the airline staff?’

‘It’s a possibility. Either way’ he huskily finishes, the silver in his sight sparkling ‘… it’s a Disney miracle’

As you gaze with wonder peering back and forth, from the window to the safety video playing on the screen, Bucky pulls his phone out of his pocket, keeping it tucked away from your view as he sends a message.

**Thanks for sorting that for me man**

********

In quick succession, he is soon met with a dutiful response.

********

**No problem, sir.**

********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Some notes..  
> 1) DME will be present all round in this fic despite the news of its cancellation next year so lets pretend its like 2019 again lmao.  
> 2) The second chapter took a while to release and I think I'm going to keep it this way due to real life being a bit hectic at the moment! So, it will be in the summary but a note here - this fic will be updated every single Wednesday! Gives me a bit of space to plan out further chapters properly. Having said that - Hope you all enjoyed!


	3. All Star Mixups

The wing slices through the cotton clouds, ranging from their customary colour of pearly white to a pastel shade of yellow; the now apparent sunshine glowing radiantly against them. Luxury of travelling to an earlier time zone, you thought. Hours would pass but the greater hues of the sky would remain sun kissed, for a while, in all their brilliance. 

It continued like this for the rest of the journey. When you weren’t admiring the view, you mainly spent your time talking to Bucky about anything and everything that life had to offer. You’d learnt that he was born and raised in Brooklyn, was the oldest of two, had a childhood best friend named Steve – who apparently was a carbon copy of yourself in values – and was a business admin student at his local university. But the overarching topic of conversation happened to be your shared love for Disney World. Not many people back home appreciated the rambles and inside jokes that came with knowing the place inside and out, so it was nice to find someone who did. 

‘Please’ Bucky had said with a mouthful, crunching a cracker from the starter meal ‘If the Ghost Host were to come up to me and ask if I wanna volunteer, then it’s my fuckin’ time to go’

‘All you’d need to say is you’re dead inside and boom – qualified!’ you quipped back.

‘Ha ha, exactly!’ he had laughed, genuinely and infectiously.

Shortly into the flight, the aeroplane food had arrived and honestly, you were starving considering Bucky had devoured most of the treats, like a malnourished dog. You had ordered for yourself simple chicken and mushroom casserole whereas Bucky had the asparagus and ricotta gnocchi – too ‘fancy sounding’ for your liking, but when he’d let you try a sample you couldn’t bring yourself to admit just how good it tasted. Both of you had the passion fruit slice for dessert, alongside a complimentary glass of prosecco. 

The fizz had gone straight to your head, leaving you feeling sleepy, so Bucky had suggested you watch a film. Only twenty minutes into the movie and Bucky had felt a small pressure against his shoulder from where you were resting on him, sleeping soundly. He didn’t really mind you being there and so positioned himself to get comfy too, resting his head upon yours.  
A few darker hours later you woke to see Bucky grunting to himself frustrated, as he stared at the screen with narrowed eyes. ‘Damn it, these guys are good’ he mumbled.

‘What are you doing?’ you sleepily asked, sitting up straight. He turned instantly at the sound of your voice; his dampened mood faded as he mocked.

‘Oh hey sleeping beauty! She finally rises!’

‘Shhh’ you yawned as you stretched. 

He then proceeded to explain to you he had joined a virtual in-flight competition of Invasion out of boredom which then fueled an addiction to mercilessly compete with EVERY SINGLE PERSON he could – even Bowling Tournament against a 7-year-old (who he knew by the cries that came from the economy class behind, screaming ‘Mummy, the man is beating me!’). Needless to say, when you woke, he knew it was time to stop. 

All was peaceful until it was finally time to descend into Orlando, the plane lowering steadily but for you, scarily. This was the worst part – you hated it with a passion.  
With crashing force, the wheels of the plane thud against the ground. Instinctively, you clench the closest thing to you as your squeeze your eyes shut in fear. Bucky feels a squeeze on his right hand and watches as you hold onto him for dear life – his lips curving into a sweet-tempered smile. When you open your eyes, realizing what you had grabbed, you move your hand back embarrassed - unaware he was already missing the feeling of your hand in his.

‘Wasn’t so scary, was it doll?’ he smirked.

‘Shut it, Bucky’ your cheeks flushed red, only making him chuckle all the more. As the plane rolls carefully along the runway, you smile to yourself watching; quietly holding back tears. 

You were home.

Clocks atop read 10:35pm by the time you’d made it through customs, security then baggage reclaim. Back in the UK, it would be almost 4am yet you were wide awake having slept a decent amount of time on the plane. Not wanting to miss your newly adjusted time slot, neither of you stop to wander through the airport Disney store (like you would’ve liked!) and instead went down in the elevator to make your way to Disney’s Magical Express. 

The trek there was quite quiet compared to usual; Bucky spent most of the walk texting, his fingers moving rapidly. You started to worry that maybe you were boring him but given the fact he – to your knowledge – hadn’t slept, you thought maybe the jet lag was catching up to him. He would shoot a few glances your way, but the conversation was kept to a minimum.

As you strolled along the carpeted hallways, the blue illuminated desks with that familiar Mickey logo finally came into vision, causing you both to halt once close enough. Bucky slid his phone back into his pocket as soon as he noticed where you were.

‘There it is. Good old Magical Express’ he noted, straightening his back.

‘Yep it is. Which uh… which one are you getting on?’

You remembered that he, despite discussing Disney World at length, hadn't mentioned where he were staying.

‘I’m not. I’m gonna hang around here for a while.’

‘Oh…okay. Sounds fun?’ 

Bucky smiled, knowingly at your confusion. ‘Got a buddy from St. Louis who works here. He’s uh, also a student and he’s gonna give me some documents I need to work on’

He spoke with an air of casualty so fluently… 

Almost like it was rehearsed.

Which of course, it was.

Whenever Bucky needed to hide the truths of his real life to someone, it was the same excuse he’d always bring up. In reality, it would be his younger sister Becca he would be meeting. He hoped more than anything she’d be fashionably late – the second he was seen with a girl; he knew for a fact she’d never shut up about it.

‘Damn’ you sighed ‘Even on holiday, you don’t get a break?’

‘Nah never. Always on the grind’ he responded light-heartedly although it felt, to him, that it sounded forced.

‘Well uh… I guess I should get checked in now and stuff.’ 

‘Yeah sure… Don’t wanna be even more late than you already are’

He scratched his head nervously, trying to rack his brain of useful things to say. The two stood there in silence before you cleared your throat.

‘It was um, nice meeting you Bucky. And thank you… for the flight and stuff’

‘Hey, don’t worry about it. It was my treat’ he licked his dry lips, looking down at you.

Both of you weren’t sure on what was appropriate to do next. Should you give each other a hug, a back slap, a handshake? Should you just run for the hills and hope for the best?  
In the end, both of you opted for a small wave.

‘Bye’ you said almost with a whisper as you walked away to the check in desk. 

As he watched you leave, Bucky groaned internally – already regretting not hugging you. From when you laid asleep on him, he would linger on your soft skin, enjoying the warmth of you pressed up against him. The scent of a rich floral fragrance clung to you, one he would’ve … and should’ve embraced with no question. Truthfully, he was just afraid.  
He was curled up on a bench inside, thinking of ways to see and woo a certain someone, when a bouncing figure came into his vision.

‘Bucky-boy!’

His sister Becca shouted across the airport, startling then annoying the late-night passengers who sipped their caffeine and rubbed their eyes. Becca, on the other hand, was raring to go and full of life. Bucky stood up right to his feet.

‘Becca. Was beginning to think you wouldn’t show’

The two share a hug, whilst patting each-others backs too. If there’s anything Becca wasn’t, it was overly affectionate. 

‘Ah you know me. Always start the party late’ she raises her shoulders, physically similar to his own quintessential shrug.

‘Yeah, you try telling Dad that.’ He starts as they begin to walk out of the airport ‘Had him texting me to tell you you’re on duty at 9’

‘Ugh, what?’ she groaned dramatically, swatting his arm ‘Why! You’re the prodigal son, you’re back here now!’ 

‘I’m on leave.’ He reminded her ‘Besides, I’m hopeless at rights negotiations. I feel like that’s right up your alleyway’ he smirked, making her roll her eyes. A few steps ahead, a black Jaguar XJ220S TWR had pulled up along the sidewalk, ready to pick up the siblings and take them to their respective hotels where they would be staying. The chauffeur steps out of the car and opens the door for them. Becca huffs as she throws her bag in the back.

‘Remind me why I said yes to Dad again?’

‘Because he’s a multi-millionaire, executive chairman who owns the rights to most known franchise’s distributions in the parks, not to mention the parks themselves and the most obvious the fact - he’s our Dad?’

‘… And because Mom would get mad if I said no’

‘And because Mom would get mad if you said no’ he repeated.

Becca grumbled something inaudible under her breath, most likely cussing out their parents, as she got in the car, Bucky shortly following. 

From the window, he observed the scenic views of the four lane highways, the midnight sky producing a dystopian haze that clouded over the city. Roads grew busier as they entered the property, but his weary mind was another world away to notice or care. Soon, he’d rest and get to live his life as he always did – in the company of his friends and then in the company of business. He just hoped, that during your stay, that could include you too.

After the relaxing thirty-minute ride on the coach, you’d finally arrived at your hotel - the enormous glowing letters reading ‘All Star Movies’ letting you know you were home. The complex was sizeable for a value lot, the air conditioning hitting exactly right as you stepped into reception. 

Once you’d checked in, you quickly stopped at Donald’s Double Feature store and picked up a bottle of water and some Cheetos. Then, you made your way out of Cinema Hall, and down to the left to approach the Toy Story themed buildings. On the side of where the Giant Woody was placed, you made your way up to the third floor and finally into your room. 

The room was fairly small and compact, housing two single beds alongside a television, a vanity mirror area, and a bathroom – yet to you, it didn’t matter. You unfortunately didn’t have the money for a luxury hotel, so this familiar comfort would make do. 

With a pleasant sigh, you fell back onto the bed to embrace the freshness of the sheets. To be cost effective, you’d chosen to opt out of ‘mouse-keeping’ and saved yourself a couple hundred dollars on a gift card. Granted, the room would most likely end up being a tip in a few days, but you promised yourself you’d try your hardest to keep it clean.  
After what felt like several minutes just laid there, you rose back up and decided to do a small unpack. There would be no need to get into bed straight away after all – just on the flight over you were showing Bucky your itinerary and you didn’t have anything in particular planned for tomorrow. It was a free day.

As you hung all your clothes up and plugged all your devices in, you noticed your camera wasn’t there.

‘What? Where is it?’ you began to panic.

You searched through your suitcase and your hand luggage – but to no avail, it wasn’t there. Suddenly, you remembered Bucky had taken it when he’d booked you the new seat. After racking your brain, you realized the only place it could be was with him. Worries plagued your mind – had he stolen it? Is that why he spent time with you, was he a professional thief? One way or another, you needed to find out.

Problem – you had no way of contacting him.

‘Shit’ you thought, as you immediately pulled your phone out. 

Sitting cross legged on the floor, you scrolled through all social media platforms you could think of. Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter – nothing. You even tried TikTok, for crying out loud. Your last try was Instagram when you saw the handle of ‘whoisbbarnes98’ pop up at the top, with a profile picture that looked extremely similar to him. Hoping for the best, you sent the private account a message.

**yourname99: hey bucky?? it’s y/n from the plane! i know you said you don’t really use social media that much but it’s all i could find you on … really hoping you reply to this**

Bucky, laid up in his king size bed, was just about to close his eyes when he hears his phone ping. ‘God’ he groans ‘What now, Dad?’. As he views the notification, his eyes and smile widen at the sight of your name pop up – inflaming a boost to his ego. He reads what you have to say and pauses. How should he play this? 

Leave you on read, make you wait a while?

No, Bucky thought. That’s what douchebags would do.

Maybe he could start it with something like ‘Hey Y/N – glad you messaged! I was waiting for it!’ No… 

‘Sup doll, how you doing?’ 

What? Even bigger no!

With a frustrated yet slightly nervous grunt, he sent a message back to you.

**whoisbuckbarnes98: Oh yeah? Missing me already doll? 😉**

That’d do it. Bucky nodded. Perfectly in character. You on the other hand; you were relieved at the sight of the familiar pet name – one that still made your stomach flutter.

**yourname99: thank GOD**

**yourname99: hand it over now pls**

**whoisbuckbarnes98: Hand what over?**

**yourname99: my camera. otherwise i will go to the police pronto 😊**

**whoisbuckbarnes98: You think I have your camera?**

**yourname99: you do have my camera because i certainly don’t**

**whoisbuckbarnes98: Hold up lemme check my backpack**

Getting up, Bucky amusedly pulled his bag out of the wardrobe he’d thrown it into. Sure enough, her camera was perched at the top of his belongings the second he undid the zip. Grinning to himself wickedly, he picked up his phone once again.

**whoisbuckbarnes98: Oh would you look at that… I now have a camera 😝**

**yourname99: hahahaha give it**

**whoisbuckbarnes98: Very persistent, aren’t you? Afraid of someone looking at the pics you have on here?**

Oh, he was pushing his luck now! You couldn’t help but shake your head in amusement as you replied.

 **yourname99: by all means go right ahead! provided you give it back immediately.**

**yourname99: where are you staying? i’ll come by and grab it if you’re not busy tomorrow?**

That couldn’t be an option, he thought, knowing his Dad would most likely drop by in the morning. He didn’t feel comfortable lying to you, but so far this whole separating his real life from you seemed to be working. For reasons, he didn’t necessarily want to dwell on right now. Avoiding the offer, he responded.

**whoisbuckbarnes98: It’s cool. I’ll come to you. I know where you are.**

**yourname99: creep**

**whoisbuckbarnes98: Ouch. No camera for you then.**

**yourname99: no bucky PLEASE**

Looking at your desperate dramatic response, a sudden idea popped into his mind. 

**whoisbuckbarnes98: Tell you what – I’ll make you a deal. I’ll return it to you if you come to dinner with me tomorrow @ DS. My buddy works in the Boathouse and he and I have a little bet going that I don’t have friends outside our group. This way – I can prove him wrong. That sound cool to you, or?**

Truthfully, you didn’t feel as though you had much of a choice, but the proposition was exciting to you, nonetheless. Secretly, and though you wouldn’t want to admit it, you had wanted to see him again from the second he left. He was, if anything, a lovely person to be around a great potential friend. 

**yourname99: ooh, i dunno... i’ll have to see if i can fit you into my busy schedule…**

**whoisbuckbarnes98: Please. I’ve seen your itinerary – you are not busy**

**yourname99: shit i didn’t think you’d remember lol. but fine i will come – only to meet this charming friend of yours – more so than you anyway 😝**

**whoisbuckbarnes98: One more word and it’s going in the river**

**yourname99: you wouldn’t dare !!**

**whoisbuckbarnes98: I guess you’ll find out tomorrow at 1:30. Try me, sweetheart. 😉**

**yourname99: dick. goodnight bucky**

**whoisbuckbarnes98: Lmao. Goodnight Y/N**

As you lock your phone and set it down, you can’t help but giggle to yourself. It was pathetic, honestly, but there was something about Bucky that filled you with confidence that had been a stranger to you for years. And now you were spending tomorrow with him, you had hope that maybe this solitary trip wouldn’t be so solitary after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading - I hope you enjoy! Kudos and feedback always appreciated.  
> Socials - @pashleync for Twitter and Instagram if you would like any updates, requests etc.  
> Much love, from Chloe x


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